The present invention relates to solid fuel burning stoves, and more particularly to a grate assembly for a solid fuel burning stove.
Because of the recent skyrocketing costs of energy, such as oil, gas, and electricity, many homeowners have installed wood burning furnaces or stoves in their homes to reduce their home heating costs. Typically, these stoves include an airtight firebox in which the wood or other solid fuel is combusted and a grate supported within the box to in turn support the wood during combustion. The heat resulting from combustion of the wood is distributed by convection and, in some units, by blowers incorporated in the wood stove.
Although reducing heating costs for homeowners having a readily available supply of relatively inexpensive wood, these stoves are not without their inconveniences and drawbacks. First, and perhaps most significantly, the wood stove must be periodically and repetitively checked to determine whether it requires stoking, or replenishing with wood, to maintain the fire within the firebox. Second, if too much wood is placed in the firebox, a large proportion of the heat passes through the flue so that the stove is not as efficient as desirable. However, homeowners often overfill the firebox to reduce the frequency of restoking the fire therein. The chore of checking the fire is a relatively bothersome task and continually interrupts the homeowner's life as he must periodically proceed to the wood stove at often inconvenient times to check the wood supply therein. Of course, the wood stove must be checked more often than is actually necessary for restoking to insure that the fire does not burn too low or even burn out.
Artisans have attempted to develop a workable low wood signal system for a solid fuel burning stove, for example as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,998, entitled FUEL LEVEL INDICATOR, and issued July 20, 1982, to Finch. The Finch device includes a grate pivotally supported within the firebox on a spring-loaded axle and a switch responsive to rotation of the axle for actuating a signaling device or automatic feeder. When the grate is fully loaded with wood, the switch is open so that the signaling device and feeder are dormant. However, as wood is consumed, the grate pivots upwardly to close the switch and actuate the signaling device and feeder. The Finch device has at least two significant drawbacks. First, the grate must be specially sized and adapted for each individual firebox in which the kit is to be installed, creating tremendous inventory and stocking problems. Second, because the spring-loaded switch is responsive to the rotation of the fixed axle, it appears that the switch tends to be somewhat inaccurate, sometimes (1) indicating that the fire requires restoking when it does not and (2) failing to indicate that the fire requires restoking when it has burned too low to kindle additional wood.